Handle for a rotary brush



R. DESCARRIES ET L Oct. 27', 1970 HANDLE FOR A ROTARY BRUSH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1968 HY ONE 5806 I55 N010 I0 at: lFKED 0 To 0, e. M MM M THEIR ATTGRNEYS v F/G. 2

Oct. 27, 1970 DESCARRIES 'ETAL 3,535,728

HANDLE FOR A ROTARY BRUSH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June a, 1968 u 5mm zo OBHO TORT mum V N a IM -D THEIR ATTORN United States Patent 3,535,728 HANDLE FOR A ROTARY BRUSH Raymond Descarries, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and

Donald J. Nichols, Darien, and Alfred A. Yantorno, .Ir., Greenwich, Conn., assignors to Consolidated Foods Corporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Maryland Filed June 5, 1968, Ser. No. 734,658

Int. Cl. A46b 13/00 US. Cl. 15180 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary brush for a floor care machine on which a handle is pivotally attached to the center of the brush back surrounded by the bristles to facilitate removal of the brush from the machine. To prevent contact between the handle and floor or floor covering when the brush is in use, the handle is cammed into a retracted position, alternatively the handle is eccentrically weighted or configured to provide an eccentric mass, whereby the handle is automatically pivotally retracted by centrifugal force when the brush is rotated.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Floor care machines having rotating brushes for polishing and buffing wood, or covered floors, and shampooing rugs are provided with several sets of brushes for these various tasks.

Various arrangements are known for attaching and detaching a brush from the drive spindle(s) of a floor care machine. A widely used expedient is to provide a resilient rod, wire or C ring on the brush back which snaps into a recess on the brush driving spindle for holding the brush on the spindle (US. Pat. 3,212,117). When the brush is pulled axially relative to the associated spindle the resilient rod, wire or C ring is cammed out of the recess thereby releasing the brush. An alternative arrangement is disclosed in US. Pat. 3,216,035. In each of the known arrangements however, it is necessary that the brush back be grasped by the users finger tips in order to exert an axial force on the brush being removed. In many instances the brush back is so close to the adjacent surface (splash or base plate) of the floor care machine that there is not enough room for ones fingers to get between the brush and adjacent surface or plate for a good grip on the brush. Also the brushes may be wet and slippery thus increasing the difficulty. Further any brush latching arrangement will accumulate dirt, and become corroded in use so that in a short time the latch fails to operate with ease and the brush must be pried off with an instrument of some kind since no tool is generally provided for this purpose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above mentioned difficulties are overcome by this invention in which a handle is attached to the bristled face of the brush back for accessibility and provides a sufiicient grip to facilitate pulling the brush axially from the associated drivng spindle.

An object of the invention therefore is to provide an improved rotary brush for a floor care machine whereby the brush is readily detached from the associated driving spindle.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a handle for a rotary brush to facilitate removal of the brush from a driving spindle.

The foregoing objects and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the presently preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing and described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view of a rotary brush according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handle per se shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the bosses shown in FIG. 1 for connecting the handle to the brush.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a brush according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of brush handle according to the embodiment of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of a rotary brush and handle according to a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a -view taken generally on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a partial plan view according to FIG. 6 with the handle in its retracted position.

In FIG. 1 a rotary brush generally designated 10 is shown having a brush back 11 in which the bristles 12 are held in any suitable manner. A foam generating sponge 13 is also shown in FIG. 1 which indicates that the brush 10 is adapted for use in shampooing rugs. However, the handle 16 would be applied to any rotary brush i.e. scrubbing and buffing brush, etc. The brush back 11, constituted of any suitable material, is preferably molded with a pair of bosses 14 integral therewith. The bosses 14 project outwardly in the direction of the bristles 12 and the opposed surfaces of the bosses may be parallel (not shown). The handle 16 (FIG. 2), having shafts 16a which are received in the apertures 17 of the bosses, may be freely pivotal with respect to the brush. In order that the handle will reside in a retracted position it may be configured or weighted so that centrifugal forces move it into a position substantially parallel with the brush back as indicated in FIG. 1.

However, in a presently preferred embodiment the adjacent or facing surfaces of the bosses 14 are configured to provide camming surfaces 15 which normally and positively hold the handle 16 in a retracted position. The camming surfaces 15 may cause the handle 16 to always return to the position shown in FIG. 1, or to either this position or a second position just opposite to that shown in FIG. 1, as will be explained fully in connection with FIG. 3.

The handle 16 could consist of a single loop of twine (not shown) attached to the brush back (exclusive of the bosses 14) or a U-shaped wire (not shown) which is journaled in openings 17 of bosses 14. However, a web type handle 16 is preferred because ones finger may be caught by a loop of twine or Wire if a machine, from which a brush is being removed, is accidentally turned on and a painful injury can result. In addition to the safety feature of the web type handle 16 mentioned above, the web 18 is made resilient or pliable so that if a machine from which a brush is being removed is accidentally turned on the handle 16 will distort and the handle shafts 16a (FIG. 2) which are received in the aperture 17 of the bosses 14, will move axially out of the apertures 17 so that the handle is removed from the rotating brush. To replace the handle '16 (and in manufacture) the handle is distorted by folding the web 18 laterally with respect to its axis of rotation so that the handle shafts 16a are moved toward each other until they can be inserted into the openings 17 in the bosses 14.

As noted above, the handle 16 shown in FIG. 1 will always return to the position shown when the camming surfaces 15 of the bosses 14 converge as diagrammatically indicated in FIG. 3a. Thus, when the handle 16, in an upright position, is released it will automatically pivot in the direction of arrow A to overcome the unstable condition imposed by distortion or stresses on the handle 16 due to the camming surfaces 15 of the bosses 14 when the handle is in an upright position. Similarly, if the camming surfaces 15a of bosses 14a (FIGS. 3b) are converging-diverging surfaces the handle 16 will move from an upright position either left or right, as indicated by arrows B, to its normal retracted position.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrating a second embodiment of the invention in which the handle operates as a lever to pry the brush off the associated spindle. In this embodiment the brush generally designated 110 comprises a brush back 111 having a ring of bristles 112. The brush back 111 is provided with a pair of slots 120 which extend completely through the brush back. The handle 116, having lever arms 121 received in the slots 120 (FIG. 5) is pivotally connected to the brush back in known manner, for example by pins 125 as indicated in FIG. 4. When the handle is lifted as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5 the lever arms 121 engage the driving hub or spindle or the base plate 130- of the floor care machine thereby lifting the brush axially of the associated driving spindle for removal. When the brush is placed on the driving spindle the handle 116 is moved into its retracted position by engagement of the lever arms 121 with the member 130 so that the handle 116 is retracted and unable to engage the floor to be treated.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the handle 216 is pivotally attached to the brush back 211 by means of a pair of bosses 214, connected with the brush back, and having apertures 217 for receiving the handle shafts 216a. In this embodiment the facing surfaces of the bosses 214 are not configured for camming the handle into a retracted position as in the embodiment of FIG. 1. However, in order that the handle 216 will automatically snap into its retracted position when the handle is released and remain retracted while the brush is in operation, the handle is provided with a cam 220 which projects radially outwardly from the axis of rotation of the associated shaft 216a. When the handle is elevated to a vertical position for brush removal the cam 220 is spaced from the associated bosses 214 so that a lever arm is provided between the fulcrum 221 and the contact point or line 222 between the cam and the brush back, at best illustrated in FIG. 6. When the handle 216 is in its vertical position the stresses imposed on the shaft 216a and the web 218 of the handle by the bosses 214 and cam 220, create an unstable condition and the handle when released will snap into its stable condition wherein it is retracted as shown in FIG. 8. The general V shape of the cam 220, as best illustrated in FIG. 7, is preferred however it should be noted that a V-shaped cam is not critical for obtaining an unstable condition of the handle in its upright position. It is also noted that the brush back is relieved at 223 (FIG. 6) to allow the outer ends of the shaft 216a to move away from the boss and thereby prevent binding of the shaft in the boss which could have an adverse effect of the retracting operation of the handle.

Two cams 220 are preferred as shown in the drawing however, a single cam may be used as well.

The foregoing description of the presently preferred embodiments is given by way of example and it is not intended that the subjoined claims be limited exclusively to the details above described.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotatable brush for a floor treating machine comprising a brush back having a generally annular bristle pattern projecting from a major surface of said brush back, a pivotal handle member secured on said brush back within said annular pattern of bristles and means for automatically moving said handle from an upright position substantially normal with the brush back to a retracted position substantially parallel with the brush back.

2. A rotatable brush according to claim 1 wherein said handle member consists of a sheet of resilient material whereby said handle is bendable transversely of its pivotal axis for removably connecting said handle with said brush back.

3. A rotatable brush according to claim 1 wherein said handle comprises a web portion having a pair of oppositely projecting shafts and said means comprises a pair of opposed bosses projecting from said brush back, said bosses having apertures therein defining a pivotal axis for said handle member, said shafts being receivable in said apertures for pivotally connecting said handle and said brush back.

4. A rotatable brush according to claim 3 wherein the opposed surfaces of said bosses are configured for defining camming surfaces, said camming surfaces engaging said handle member for urging said handle into a retracted position.

5. A rotatable brush according to claim 1 wherein said means for moving said handle member comprises an eccentrically weighted handle for urging said handle into its retracted position when said brush is rotated in normal use thereof.

6. A rotatable brush according to claim 1 wherein said handle member comprises a web portion having a pair of lever arms extending therefrom in a plane traversely of the pivotal axis of said handle, a pair of slots in said brush back for receiving said lever arms, said lever arms extending beyond said brush back when said handle is normal with said brush back for engaging said floor treating machine when said brush is attached thereto whereby said handle is pivoted to said retracted position.

7. A rotatable brush according to claim 1 wherein said handle comprises a web portion having a pair of axial oppositely extending shafts, each said shaft having a free terminal end, and said means for moving said handle comprises a pair of bosses connected to said brush back, said bosses having apertures for receiving said. shafts and at least one cam on said handle projecting radially of the axis of rotation of said handle, said cam engaging said brush back in the upright position of said handle for creating an unstable condition whereby said handle is urged into its retracted position.

8. A rotatable brush according to claim 7 wherein said cam on said handle projects from at least one said shaft, said cam being located on said shaft remote from the terminal end thereof whereby said cam is disposed between said bosses.

9. A rotatable brush according to claim 8 wherein each said shaft has a cam projecting therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,865,032 6/1932 McGee 1549 2,972,155 2/1961 Smith 15-50 FOREIGN PATENTS 531,058 12/1940 Great Britain.

ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner 

